It was Saturday night, and I was already packing my suitcase while Greta lounged on my bed, a glass of wine in hand.
"You're working for Axel!" she exclaimed, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"How come you know him and I don't? I mean, I knew the company, but not him," I replied, folding a pair of jeans and tucking them into the suitcase.
Greta took a sip of wine, giving me a sly look. "He's… well, if not the most handsome man in the world, then definitely close. How can you not throw yourself at him?"
"He's taken, and his girlfriend is crazy. Besides, he's not really my type," I said.
She gave me a look that immediately told me she knew I was lying. "He's everyone's crush."
"Not mine," I shot back, closing the suitcase and sliding it toward the wardrobe. One thing was clear: I'd done it all myself.
"But tell me," she pressed, "what's it like working with him?"
I sat on the bed next to her and sighed, searching for the right words. "It's… unpredictable."
"Unpredictable?"
"Yeah. Distant, cold… ice-cold. It's a lot of things at once," I said, staring off into space, my mind drifting to Axel.
Greta nudged me playfully. "What is it?"
"Nothing," I muttered, hiding a smile.
"Stop acting dumb. You, on the other hand… how did it go with that guy?"
Greta paused, as if she had to think back. "Oh… him? Nothing much."
"You're the same as always." I laughed. Greta had been my friend for over ten years. We'd been through everything together, often because of her—she was like an atomic bomb. I, on the other hand, was the opposite. But that's exactly why we balanced each other out.
"How does it feel to be going to another country with your boss?"
"Normal. It's just work, Gre. Don't get carried away."
"I'm not, but… why take you? You said he told you at the last minute. I don't think he just found out about this trip now. I'm convinced he wanted you with him for reasons that aren't strictly professional," she said, narrowing her eyes and staring at the wall.
"You're overthinking it."
"I'm entertained. Your life's more interesting than mine."
And she'd planted a seed in my mind: was Axel really taking me with him for other reasons? Or was it purely business?
"I'm hungry. What should we eat?" I asked, trying to distract myself.
I grabbed my phone to open a restaurant app when a message popped up from an unknown number:
Bring something elegant.
Then another one came almost immediately:
It's Axel.
I stared at the screen for at least thirty seconds, my heart racing.
Are we going to some special event? And how do you have my number? I typed finally.
The reply came almost instantly:
Do as I say. See you Monday.